Americans Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda will clash in the U.S. Open second round on Wednesday afternoon. Montreal champion and two-time U.S. Open semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta will also be in action against Alexander Bublik.
(29) Tommy Paul vs. Sebastian Korda
Countrymen Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda are set to do battle for the fourth time on Wednesday. It has been a one-sided endeavor so far, as Korda has won all three of the pair’s previous meetings–but that isn’t as bad for Paul as it might sound. All three encounters came in 2021, when Korda was playing more consistently than he has been in 2022. It’s also before Tommy Paul started his slow march up the rankings.
Since Queen’s Club in June of this year, Paul has routinely found himself in the business end of tournaments–including an impressive quarterfinal run in Montreal that included a win over Carlos Alcaraz. By contrast, Korda has been struggling this summer. The 22 year-old is ranked 52nd, down from a career high of 30th in May. Shin splints kept him out of Wimbledon. He made the quarters in Washington but doesn’t have much else to show for his summer hard court efforts.
This may end up as one of the more interesting matches on the docket on Wednesday. Both men are motivated, and while Korda is slightly off form he is sure to draw some confidence from his three wins over Paul.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 4
Ricky pick: Paul in 5
(12) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Alexander Bublik
Spanish veteran Pablo Carreno Busta has historically played his best Grand Slam tennis at the U.S. Open. The two-time semifinalist is a rare Spaniard whose game is better on hard courts. That he comes into New York off his first ever Masters title in Montreal can only help with his momentum for this fortnight. At No. 15 in the world, he’s slightly off his career-high best of No. 10 from back in 2017.
On Wednesday he will do battle with familiar foe Alexander Bublik from Russia. The world No. 47 has not yet beaten Carreno Busta in three tries. Bublik had good results on grass this season. He made the final in Newport and put in a third-round showing at Wimbledon. Unfortunately for Bublik’s New York prospects, he comes into the U.S. Open having played a singular match on American hard courts–a first-round ouster to Jenson Brooksby in Cincinnati a few weeks ago.
Each of their matches has gone the distance, so this could be more competitive than ranking or head-to-head suggests, but expect Carreno Busta to take care of early-round business here.
Cheryl pick: Carreno Busta in 4
Ricky pick: Carreno Busta in 4
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